Garlic, Allium sativum, is
a perennial herb related to the onion. More than a thousand years ago,
garlic was used in India for the treatment of diseases of the heart and
circulation. Several thousand years earlier, garlic was also
commonly used for medicinal purposes.

Thirty-five
centuries ago in an ancient Egyptian manuscript, garlic was cited as being
useful, in the treatment of heart disease, tumors, worms, intestinal
parasites, insect bites, and many other ailments. The health benefits of
garlic have been known for thousands of years, but only recently has
garlic been subjected to scientific research.

In the following pages I will
begin to try and begin to explain the complex garlic story.